Hard work leads to prosperity

Thanks to a lifetime of hard work, Luther and Betty Vogel made a transformational gift to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's.

Born and raised in a small town south of Brownwood, Texas, Luther Vogel has never been a stranger to hard work. Born during the Great Depression, Luther remembers a time when work and food were hard to come by and a banana on Sunday was a special treat.

But Luther’s father worked hard and made sure Luther always had a job. In high school, Luther participated in a program that allowed him to leave school early to work long hours at a brick plant for 72 cents per hour alongside grown men trying to support families on the same pay scale. After graduation—just one hour after the ceremony, in fact—Luther began work on an oil rig, a job his father lined up despite Luther’s plans for a celebratory trip to Mexico with friends.

“I was disappointed at the time, but I am grateful that he passed on his strong work ethic to me,” Luther said. “He taught me to work hard, and now it’s left me in a place to be able to do good for others.”

Luther later took a job as a railroad brakeman with the Santa Fe Railroad. After saving up, he married his high school sweetheart, Betty.

The Santa Fe Railroad brought the couple to Temple, where they made their permanent home. During their 68 years in residence, the Vogels have watched both the community and Baylor Scott & White grow tremendously.

“The Sante Fe Hospital was where Dr. Scott and Dr. White got their start,” Luther said. “I remember when the Santa Fe Hospital was only for railroad employees, and the dues were $1.50 a month. A lot has changed!”

Luther retired from the Santa Fe Railroad after 43 years of service.

“After years of hard work, being frugal and with God looking after us, we’re able to do some good for this community where we’ve spent our lives,” Luther said.

After visiting the children’s hospital, Luther and Betty decided to leave a portion of their estate to Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center.

“We saw the tremendous need for this hospital in this community,” Luther says. “We don’t have any grandchildren of our own, so we thought we could help someone else’s grandbabies.”

Thank you, Luther and Betty, for your wonderful gift to support quality care for the children of Central Texas.

To learn about how you can include Baylor Scott & White in your estate plans, please contact Jordan Castillo, JD, CFRE, at 254.899.3776 or Jordan.Castillo@BSWHealth.org.